THIS year’s second annual Malaysia International Carnatic Music Festival (MYICMF) 2020 will feature a suite of conferences, competitions and concerts for arts enthusiasts – especially aficionados of classical Indian music and dance – online between December 5 and 13.
As is the case with numerous other events in the last year, the organisers of the MYICMF 2020, the Sugam Culture & Heritage Foundation, or Sugam, were compelled to convert it to an online offering.
This, as Sugam Founding President Sujietra Jayaseelan Raj Kumar admitted, was a daunting assignment but one that had to be done to continue to bring together music and arts adherents, as well as practitioners on a common platform.
The MYICMF 2020 was initially conceived as a fully-fledged physical festival, with activities such as skill conferences for arts students and headline performances spread out in Penang, Perak and the Klang Valley over a one-month period, in the month of June.
This year it will be streamed “live” on Sugam’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
“We thought that we could host it in November. But as months went by, everything seemed uncertain. In the month of August, we mustered some courage and decided that we will put up an online festival so that there will be continuity to our inaugural festival last year,” said Sujietra.
“Then the work started from what we thought was to be an easier alternative to the physical festival but alas we were completely bewildered as we were charting unknown territories in the digital arena.
“As the year comes to a close, we are very delighted to bring music and arts enthusiasts a truly special online edition of the MYICMF 2020,” she said.
As a matter of fact, Sugam were stumped with the overwhelming response on their call for digital performances for MYICMF 2020 and, as a result, the event now features 68 concerts and performances from a combination of global artistes, homegrown stars and students. Industry experts, meanwhile, helm the conferences.
The competition segment comprises four categories and encompasses Carnatic vocal and instrumental music, classical dance and multimedia genres. It is divided into three age groups and has garnered 319 entries from 13 countries.
They are, apart from Malaysia, the United States of America, India, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Japan, Lebanon, Norway, Sweden, Mexico and South Africa.
The conferences segment, meanwhile, offers lectures and demonstrations under the title Workshops and Conversations.
The segment – which ranges from an online chat forum with child prodigy Rahul Vellal to the importance of vocal and instrumental basics in Carnatic music by maestro T.K.R. Ayyappan – caters to all, from children to adults.
All the content under MYICMF 2020 – which is free for all – will either premiere “live” on Sugam’s Facebook or YouTube and the content will also be archived on both platforms for further viewing.
Participants for the conferences are required to register via the link provided on the Sugam website to enable them to participate and interact with the presenters.
“Sugam would like to convey our heartfelt gratitude to the Cultural Economy Development Agency Malaysia (Cendana), National Department of Culture and Arts Malaysia (JKKN), Ministries of Education and Tourism, Arts and Culture, Carnatica and Netaji Subash Chandrabose Indian Cultural Centre for supporting the festival,” said Sujietra.
“We also thank V2Care Sdn Bhd, House of CSR Sdn Bhd, Pancha Products Sdn Bhd, our media partner Enthamizh Vannanggal, our gurus (teachers) and arts institutions and the MYICMF secretariat for their continuous support in all our initiatives in the field of arts and culture.”
Details and updates on the MYICMF 2020 are available on www.sugam.org/MYICMF. Please contact Ms. Sumitra Jayaseelan at +60172799760 for more information. – The Vibes, December 9, 2020
